Primary Education
All levels
Want to learn about Amsterdam in a nutshell? Come to the Amsterdam Museum on the Amstel! For primary education students, we offer various guided tours suited to different ages. Students will discover Amsterdam’s different histories based on the Heroes Tour or World Citizen Tour.
Mouse in the Canal House - Group 1 and 2
Long ago, a distinguished family lived in this large house on the Herengracht. Now the mice Snor and Snuit live here. They love to play and have made a mess in this neat house. The pupils help Snor and Snuit to put all the things back neatly. But what are these old things? And what were these used for? Do we still use this? Together with Snor and Snuit, they smell, feel, hear and see all kinds of things in the museum. They differentiate between 'old' and 'new', 'past' and 'present'.
Practical information
Duration: 1 hour
Cost: €50,- (excl. VAT), per 15 pupils
Number of students: maximum 30
Start and end location: House Willet-Holthuysen
Key objectives: 1, 51, 54, 56
Questions? Email boekingen@amsterdammuseum.nl
Groups 7 and 8
The Amsterdam Museum on the Amstel offers interactive guided tours for students in groups 7 and 8. Our experienced museum docents show students around the exhibition Panorama Amsterdam: A living history of the city. Students learn about Amsterdam through different stories, from the past and today. The tour is about old and new heroes, about democracy, diversity, and living together – topics from the learning module on Citizenship. In addition, we also have an online platform, Groeistad (Growth City), with lesson suggestions for group 3 and higher on the learning trajectory of heritage and identity.
World Citizen Tour
From the Catholic Church to headscarves for employees at the Dirk van den Broek supermarket, from the pineapple to graffiti, students are introduced to the colorful history of Amsterdam.
During the interactive guided tour, we challenge students from groups 7 and 8 to think about democracy, diversity, and living together. They are encouraged to speak their thoughts, to talk with and listen to each other. The tour combines well with the subjects Dutch, History, Geography, Orientation toward yourself and the world, Artistic orientation, and the Citizenship learning module.
Practical information
Duration: 1 hour
Cost: €70,- (excl. VAT)
Number of students: 15 students per tour group
Available: Monday to Friday, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Start and end location: Amsterdam Museum on the Amstel, Amstel 51
Key objectives: 1, 2, 48, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56 & Citizenship Building Blocks 1–6 (SLO)
Questions? Email boekingen@amsterdammuseum.nl
Heroes Tour
What makes a hero? The Heroes Tour introduces old and new heroes. The guided tour is inspired by the vision of Musea Bekennen Kleur, a platform committed to furthering diversity and inclusion in the museum world.
In the Heroes Tour for students from groups 7 and 8, we talk to them about old and new heroes. Heroes from Amsterdam’s history and heroes who are still living here today. The goal of the tour is to raise awareness among students about the city’s different histories. This begins with the Socratic dialogue. Under the guidance of an experienced museum docent, students talk with each other about religion, slavery, feminism, the workers’ uprisings, and LGBTQIA+ communities. The guided tour combines well with the subjects Dutch, History, Geography, Orientation toward yourself and the world, Artistic orientation, and the Citizenship learning module.
Practical information
Duration: 1 hour
Cost: €70,- (excl. VAT)
Number of students: 15 students per tour group
Available: Monday to Friday, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Start and end location: Amsterdam Museum on the Amstel, Amstel 51
Key objectives: 1, 2, 48, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56 & Citizenship Building Blocks 1–6 (SLO)
Questions? Email boekingen@amsterdammuseum.nl
World Canals
Everyone knows the famous song “Aan de Amsterdamse Grachten.” For hundreds of years, the canals of our city have impressed inhabitants and visitors alike. It is therefore not surprising that they are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
World Canals in the classroom: a preparatory interactive lesson in the classroom. The history of the Amsterdam canals is brought to life with the help of the online tool Groeistad. Students learn about world heritage, UNESCO, and the history of Amsterdam’s canals during the 17th century. The lesson precedes an excursion.
World Canals excursion: students take a trip to the center of Amsterdam, the highlight of which is a cruise on the canals plus a visit to the canal house Museum van Loon.
World Canals on the legacy of slavery or sustainability: a third, more in-depth lesson given by one of our experienced museum docents. This final lesson again takes place in the classroom and covers a chosen topic. This lesson is optional, but we highly recommend it for the learning module on Citizenship.
The three lessons are given by our experienced museum docents. During the 2023–2024 school year, one of these in-depth lessons can be reserved free of charge.
Practical information
Duration: preparatory (guest) lesson in class, 2-hour boat trip, optional in-depth lesson (temporarily free)
Cost: €275,- (excl. VAT) per program. This includes museum docent, free guest-led lesson, and materials. We will charter the Culture Boat, however, this will be a separate fare (like the Culture Bus).
Number of students: minimum 20, maximum 34 students
Available: Tuesday to Thursday, 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM (from November 1st 2023)
Start and end location: the program begins at the information center of the World Heritage Office in the Bazel building, Vijzelstraat 32
Key objectives: 1, 2, 48, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56 & Citizenship Building Blocks 1–6 (SLO)
Questions? Email boekingen@amsterdammuseum.nl
Groeistad
Make heritage lessons extra fun with the Groeistad (Growth City) online platform! Groeistad is a digital map of Amsterdam filled with accessible information about architecture, art, unique discoveries, and the different neighborhoods.
By superimposing historical maps of old Amsterdam over the current map, extraordinary insights into the past emerge. Students help to expand the map by adding their own photos, stories, and routes. Heritage becomes both fascinating and highly personal! The playful way in which Groeistad is set up guarantees the students will want to get involved. They will learn plenty about the surroundings where they live and are able to work independently.
Heritage and identity learning trajectory
The Amsterdam Museum has developed a heritage and identity learning trajectory for primary education, together with partners in the city. This is based on the conviction that bringing the history and identity of Amsterdam to life will improve mutual understanding among its residents. The learning trajectory also addresses the legacy of this history today. Students’ own surroundings and the history of these places play a major role in this respect.
Desired outcomes of the learning trajectory include:
- Improving knowledge about the city
- Connecting students
- Developing tools and skills to exchange ideas about identity